PKK Should Apologize for Their Losses, Victims' Families Urge

The members of the Social Memory Platform, which is made up of the relatives of the victims of political murders, were on Thursday in front of The Marmara Hotel, where a bombing took place in 1994 which took the lives of archeologist-guide Yasemin Cebenoyan, and writer Onat Kutlar who died on 11 January 1995 from injuries inflicted during blast.

Özgür Mumcu, son of renowned Turkish journalist Uğur Mumcu who lost his life in a similar attack in Ankara in 1993, made a press statement.

"Two persons, whose hearts were beating for peace and the brotherhood of the peoples, died." he said. Mumcu reminded the fact that initially an Islamist organization İBDA-C claimed responsibility for the attack, but then it was revealed that it was the PKK, who did it, after the perpetrators were caught.

"We had thought that the crime had been laid on the usual suspect," said Mumcu. "But the developments did not prove us right. The perpetrator was caught and confessed. He had done the bombing on behalf of the PKK."

"PKK should apologise "

Mumcu stated that the PKK did not defend the bombing, because it killed Kutlar, a person who was very sensitive about the Kurdish problem. "But PKK did not deny responsibility either," said Mumcu. "And Murat Karayılan, in an interview to a newspaper two months ago, stated that they may apologise for the killing of civilians but added that the time and conditions were not yet suitable for an apology."

"How much longer are you going to wait before you apologise?" asked Mumcu. "Yasemin's mother and father died before hearing this apology. We are not here for revenge. We are here to make peace and to be able to forgive. We may only be able to forgive if the perpetrators of crimes against our relatives accept their guilt, feel ashamed and apologise."

"We will not forget"

Yasemin Cebenoyan's brother, film critic Cüneyt Cebenoyan, who spoke to bianet, said "What PKK has done is a very clear attack. When we say this, they threaten us. They tell us, 'shut up, shut your mouth.' The organisation responded to our calls for apology with a very vulgar approach."

"I don't expect anything from the state anymore. I don't believe that the government will solve the unsolved murders. And I am sure they will not bring 12 September to justice. They are the products of 12 September anyway. "

Kutlar's wife Filiz Kutlar is feeling the desperation after their appeals to the government as a platform for the investigation of the perpetrators remained without any response.

"We, as the families, did what we had to do. I was actually against such an initiative because I did not believe anything would change. And I don't plan to do anything from now on. But we will not forget, and we will not let anyone forget. A country with so many unsolved murders has to look in the mirror."

AKP officials rejected

The petition given to the Parliament by the Social Memory Platform for the solution of the unsolved murders was brought to the parliament's agenda by the Republican People's Party (CHP). However, the motion of the Investigation Committee was rejected four times with the votes of the Justice and Development Party (AKP) deputies.

Abdi İpekçi's daughter Nükhet İpekçi, Hasan Ocak's siblings Maside and Hüseyin Ocak, Hrant Dink's children Arat and Delal Dink, Metin Göktepe's sister Meryem Göktepe, writer Necmiye Alpay, Doğan Öz's wife Sezen Öz and Canan Kaftancıoğlu were also present at the commemoration.

The families, following the press statement, left carnations on the table at the patisserie, where Kutlar and Cebenoyan had lost their lives. (BT)